Buffy's Amber Alert
by skyevolt
Summary: When an attempt to blackmail Amber leads Buffy to discover a whole new side of Amber she never knew, Buffy and Amber develop something beautiful. A secret. Something they can never let Andi, Cyrus and Jonah Beck find out. Ever!
1. Part 1

**Part 1**

* * *

 **The Spoon Diner. Sunday 4pm.**

Andi Mack and her friends, Buffy and Cyrus are seated at The Spoon Diner. Andi is going on about the bracelet she made Jonah Beck but now Jonah's girlfriend, Amber is wearing it. Cyrus has been struggling to open a can of soda for the last three minutes. And Buffy is doing what she does best: trying to keep them calm and rational.

"I don't think it means anything," says Buffy.

"Exactly," adds Cyrus as he unsuccessfully attempts to open a can of soda.

"And that's exactly what I'm afraid of," says Andi. "It means nothing. Maybe I mean nothing to Jonah Beck. He probably sees me as just a friend. That's all I am to him. A frisbee buddy. Why can't he just see me as a girl? Why?"

"I don't know, maybe because he has a girlfriend?" Buffy interrupts in sarcasm.

"I know. It's just that I thought that Jonah Beck really liked me. I thought we had something."

"Yes. Yes, you do," says Buffy. This gives Andi a sense of hope. But then Buffy continues. "Frisbee. You have frisbee together."

"I mean what does Jonah see in Amber?" Andi starts ranting. "They have nothing in common. She's in high school!"

"I don't get it - " says Cyrus still trying to open the soda can.

"What?" both Buffy and Andi ask.

"I don't get why girls are so obsessed with boys like Jonah Beck. I mean, he's like totally cool and all... but like... what does he have that I don't?"

"Um... he can open a soda can?" Andi asks as she grabs the can from Cyrus to open it for him.

"And he is sporty?" Buffy adds. "And has a hot high school girlfriend? She's really..." Buffy loses her train of thoughts but then gets back on track. "And Cyrus, why do you even care? Do you have a crush on Andi or something?" Buffy jokes.

"Ew! Gross!" both Andi and Cyrus reply in disgust.

Andi pops up the soda can causing it to explode all over her and Cyrus. Buffy tries not to laugh but it's just too tempting. She grabs napkins from the next table and gives them to Andi and Cyrus to dry themselves up. The napkins aren't as helpful. So the gang agrees to walk home and clean up. They leave the diner.

On their way home, Andi continues to complain about how disappointed she is that Amber has her bracelet. Buffy listens to her and advises her against snatching other girls' boyfriends.

"Forget about Jonah Beck," says Buffy. "If you love him, set him free. And maybe he will fly back to you."

"Jonah Beck can fly?" asks Cyrus in curiosity.

"It's an expression," replies Andi.

"I knew that. But Jonah Beck is so cool, you never know." replies Cyrus as he shamefully steps back a little.

"I'm actually worried about Jonah Beck," continues Buffy. "I know girls like Amber. They can't keep a boyfriend for long. Once she finds a hot high school boy, she's going to dump Jonah so hard."

Andi puts on an evil smile as she says, "And then when he's broken-hearted, he'll need a shoulder to cry on." She notices that Buffy is giving her a disappointment look. "What? OK fine, I guess Jonah getting hurt by Amber isn't a good thing."

"I just wish there was a way we could help," says Buffy.

"Maybe there is," says Cyrus. "What if we got Jonah to break up with Amber before she breaks up with him?"

"Yes!" Andi gives Cyrus a hi-five! "And if Jonah breaks up with her first, then he won't have to be broken-hearted."

"Classic!" adds Cyrus.

"That's what a bad idea sounds like," Buffy criticizes. "Such schemes never work. They've always backfire!"

"Says who?" asks Cyrus.

"Um, like every TV show ever?" Buffy replies pushing Cyrus behind.

"Buffy, I think you've been watching too much TV," says Andi as she pats Buffy on the back. "This is real life. It's going to work. It has to work."

"Just don't say I didn't warn you," says Buffy submissively. "So, what have you got? What's the plan?"

"Maybe we could get Amber to go out with another guy," suggests Cyrus.

"I don't know. I think most boys are scared of Amber," says Andi.

"I'm not scared of her," mumbles Cyrus trying to hide his face.

"Yeah right," jokes Buffy. "The other day you saw her and you almost peed yourself."

"Hey! That was in confidence!" Cyrus defends himself.

"Does it seem weird to you that Amber - being all pretty and all - somehow can't find a high school boyfriend?" asks Andi.

"I think she just likes being in control," explains Buffy. "And so, dating a middle school boy gives her some power over him."

"Exactly! She wants power. And who would make her feel like she has more power than dating Cyrus?" Andi asks looking at Cyrus.

"No... No! NO!" Cyrus refuses adamantly. "Don't look at me. She's going to kill me. She's a monster! You can't let her."

"A monster! That's it!" Buffy exclaims. "I'm sure she's got a lot of skeletons in her closet. Everybody does."

"What are you talking about?" Andi asks Buffy, then looks at Cyrus. "Do you know what she's talking about?"

Cyrus shakes his head saying, "Yeah... no... not a clue!"

Buffy laughs and says, "I'm saying we should get some dirt on her. Everybody has a secret to hide. And I'm betting Amber has a lot."

"I'm not sure this is a good idea," says Andi. "Spying on someone... invading her privacy?"

"Do you want Jonah Beck to break up with her or not?" asks Buffy.

"I guess you're right," submits Andi. "Sometimes you gotta do the wrong thing for the right reason."

"Like how Bex and your family lied to you about who you really are?" asks Cyrus.

"This is not the time for moral judgement, Cyrus," Andi attempts to avoid the subject. But feels the need to defend her stand. "It's going to take some time to adjust to the fact that my sister is my mother. And my mother is my grandmother. That's all. I'm gonna get there someday. I don't know when. But someday. I think."

"OK, can we get back to the plan?" Buffy interrupts.

"Right!" replies Andi.

"Alright," says Buffy. "Here's the plan: we're all going to need flashlights. We'll wait until dark and then break into a costume store; steal ninja costumes; put them on and break into a hardware store to steal camera equipment..."

"Buffy!" Andi shouts to get Buffy back to reality. "Or... we could just sneak into Amber's house and record her with our phones!"

"Sure," replies Buffy half-heartedly, "if you want it to be simple and boring."

Cyrus checks his phone and says, "So we'll meet meet in Amber's backyard at 7 pm tonight!"

"That's too early, don't you think?" asks Andi.

"Yeah, did I say seven? I meant seven-thirty. It's not like my bedtime is at 8pm or anything. Or take a bubble bath before I sleep or anything. Phew!" Cyrus gets nervous.

"Ok... too much information!" Buffy says and the gang settles to meet at 7:30pm.

* * *

 **Andi Shack. 7:15pm.**

Andi is finishing her homework when she receives a text reminder from Buffy about their plan. She picks up the phone to reply but Bex barges into a room and says, "No phone during homework, remember?"

"Sorry Bex - I mean Mom," says Andi nervously. "Actually, I'm done with my homework."

"Being called mom still feels a little weird," Bex says as she gets closer to Andi. She grabs the phone and asks, "So, what's this about?"

"Nothing," replies Andi trying to avoid the conversation.

"Is this about a boy? It is about a boy, isn't it?"

"No... well, kinda," Andi replies then sighs. "Buffy and Cyrus are helping me get some dirt on Amber -"

"So Jonah can break up with her? Classic blackmail!" says Bex showing pride in her daughter.

Andi squints looking at Bex in surprise, "Wait, you are ok with this?"

"Of course I am!" Bex replies before realizing that she is probably not acting like a parent. "I mean, if that's what you want... I'm always here for you."

"Thanks Bex," says Andi standing up to hug Bex. "You're the coolest sister ever... I mean... mom!"

"We're never going to get used to this, are we?" asks Bex.

"Nope!" replies Andi as she grabs her pink jacket ready to go. She puts on her sneakers and a hat in case it's windy outside. Bex follows her outside the room. She advises Andi to sneak out through the backdoor so that Celia doesn't see her. Andi walks slowly and carefully. Unfortunately she steps on one of her sneakers' shoe laces. She trips and falls down the stairs.

"Oh my God, are you ok?" asks Bex as she rushes to help Andi up.

"Yes, I'm fine," replies Andi as she gets up and dusts herself. She then heads towards the backdoor.

"Where do you think you're going?" asks a very familiar voice. It's Celia. Busted! It turns out Andi got her attention when she fell down the staircase. Andi stands there. Motionless.

Bex thinks on her feet and replies to Celia, "Andi is... she's going to do homework with Buffy. Yeah. It's a group project thing."

"Right," says Celia unconvinced. "And where are her books?"

"Uhm..." Andi struggles to explain herself. She looks at Bex. Bex shrugs her shoulders. "They're with... Buffy. Yes, the books are with Buffy. Phew!"

"Do I look like I was born yesterday?" asks Celia motioning Andi to get back.

"Clearly not, grandma!" Andi replies before realizing that she's probably crossed a line.

"That's it! You're grounded!" Celia says showing a face of no compromise.

Bex tries to defend Andi saying, "Mom, don't you think you're being unfair?"

Celia looks at her and says, "Good point! You too! You're grounded!"

"What?" Bex asks.

"What?" asks Andi.

"You can't just ground me," Bex tries to defend herself.

"You were trying to help Andi escape," Celia insists. "So, yes, you're grounded!"

"I don't need to take this," Bex says. "I'm an adult!"

"Are you?" Celia asks. Bex shuts up and walks back in shame.

Celia asks Andi to give her her phone as part of the punishment. Andi clumsily follows Bex. Speechless. Celia goes back to her business. Well done, Celia. She thinks to herself. Well done. Meanwhile, Andi has no way of telling Buffy that she can't make it to Amber's house.

* * *

 **Cyrus's Bedroom. 7:15pm.**

Cyrus is watching " _Sofia The First_ " in his bedroom when he gets the text reminder from Buffy. He jumps a little then quickly tunes the TV to some random channel with a show about buying houses. Just in case. He then turns up the TV volume and locks the door from inside.

After putting on some warm clothes, Cyrus walks towards the window. He looks down the window and gets scared. What if he falls? What if he breaks a bone or something? But what if he chickens out and doesn't help his friends out? What kind of a friend would he be? He closes his eyes and jumps carefully through the window. He falls by a bush and slightly scratches his ankle. It's worth it. Totally worth it!

Cyrus reaches for his phone to tell Buffy that he's on his way but unfortunately he forgot it on the desk. But he can't go back into the house now. It's ok. He can just walk there and meet the girls. He sneaks past their driveway and walks about two blocks down.

That's when Cyrus' worst nightmare comes to life. He sees a bunch of big kids chasing another boy. Three of them are boys and one is a girl. He recognizes them. They're from Jefferson Middle School. And he knows them. He knows them so well that the thought of them makes him shiver inside. They are the school bullies who remind him every day how he's such a girl and a weakling. He tries to run back but they've already noticed him.

Before he knows it, the bullies tackle him down. One of the boys forces Cyrus to sniff his armpit. It is not pretty. The second boy tries to twist his arm. The girl spits the gum she was chewing on Cyrus' face. The third boy tickles Cyrus vigorously against his will. Just to hear him scream. Cyrus cries begging them to stop. After a long struggle, the bullies carry the defenseless Cyrus. They throw him into a dirty trash can by the roadside. They threaten that if he tries to get out, they're going to teach him a lesson. Whatever that means.

Down in the smelly trash can Cyrus can't help but feel that he is going to let the girls down. But what can he do? The bullies have spoken. Sorry Buffy. Sorry Andi. You're on your own.


	2. Part 2

**Part 2**

* * *

 **Amber's Backyard. 7:31pm.**

In the cold, dark lit bushy backyard of Amber's house, Buffy shivers in cold as she battles annoying bugs. She checks her phone every few seconds for replies from Andi and Cyrus. Nothing. They haven't replied. The plan was very clear. She texted them 15 minutes ago. Why are they doing this to her? Where are they? What if something happened to them? She wonders. She sends them more reminders. No reply. She finally gives up on them and decides to go ahead with the plan. Alone. She's Buffy, after all!

Buffy carefully sneaks into the house. She can hear Amber taking shower in the bathroom on the second floor. Amber's parents are talking loudly in the living room. They are probably fighting about something. Buffy doesn't pay attention. She's focused on the mission.

She finds her way into Amber's room. She quickly starts looking for anything in the room that they could use against Amber. She looks through Amber's desk. There are a couple picture frames of Amber and her friends. But none with Jonah. She notices Amber's cell phone right next to her computer. If only she could get in her phone, she would have all the secrets about Amber. She tries to get in but she can't guess the right passcode. Bummer. She looks for Andi's bracelet but can't find it. After that, Buffy goes into Amber's closet. She's just wowed by Amber's fabulous clothes and sense of fashion.

Buffy gets so carried away by Amber's outfits that she doesn't hear when the shower stops running. She still has nothing on Amber except she's fallen in love with her fashion. Still no texts from Andi and Cyrus. Buffy comes out of the closet and starts searching through Amber's drawers. The underwear drawer seems a little overstuffed. She notices a box with picture frames inside the drawer. One of them is a picture of Amber and a guy. She takes some of the underwear so that she can get a closer look at the box.

Amber barges in the room and is shocked to find Buffy holding her panties in her left hand while going through the drawer.

"Ahem!" Amber clears her throat to get Buffy's attention. Buffy freaks out before turning slowly towards Amber. Embarrassed. Guilty.

"It's not what it looks like," Buffy tries to defend herself.

"Oh really?" asks Amber, "It looks like you're holding my underwear in your hand..."

"Well, yeah... I guess. It's exactly what it looks like!" Buffy replies, defenseless. She freezes. Amber grabs her underwear from Buffy and puts them back in the drawer and closes it. Buffy stands there. Perplexed.

"So, are you going to tell me what you're doing in my room? Going through my stuff?" Amber asks impatiently.

"I could ask you the same thing!" Buffy forces herself to say that in an attempt to make things less awkward.

"It's my room!" Amber defends herself.

"Is it?" asks Buffy unsure where the conversation is going.

"Yes!" Amber stands firm and then tries to grab Buffy's phone hoping to figure out what Buffy is up to.

"Hey! That's my phone!" Buffy cries out trying to get her phone back.

"Is it?" asks Amber.

"Yes... Oh I see what you did there," Buffy replies. She pulls Amber's arm to get her phone back but Amber pulls her a lot harder, causing both girls to fall on Amber's bed.

"Who's the real vampire slayer now?" Amber asks Buffy as she pins her down.

"Don't compare me to a fictional character!" says Buffy breathlessly attempting to get up. Buffy gets hold of the phone but Amber tickles her until she drops the phone.

Before they know it, Amber and Buffy find themselves in an involuntary but fun wrestling. The girls continue to fight wrestle without any of them reaching for the phone. Amber manages to sit on Buffy making it impossible for her to move. They're both exhausted and breathing heavily from all the wrestling. Amber stares right into Buffy's eyes as they both attempt to catch their breath.

"Sorry about that..." Amber says as she gets off of Buffy. She helps Buffy get up and sits next to her. There's an awkward silence for over a minute. To break the awkward silence, Amber says, "So..."

"So..." Buffy replies looking at the ceiling.

"What were you doing here anyway?" asks Amber in a ready-to-listen voice.

"You're not going to believe this," Buffy begins. "Ok, so Andi and I..."

"Of course," Amber interrupts. "Andi! I knew it. I knew Andi Mack must have been behind all this."

"Actually, the blackmail was kind of my idea..." says Buffy.

"Blackmail? Oh my God! You were here to get dirt on me! That's invasion of my privacy! Why would you do such a-"

"Because we don't want Jonah Beck to get hurt! We're just looking out for him."

"You think I'm going to hurt Jonah?"

"Yes," replies Buffy with confidence. "You're going to dump him as soon as you get a hot high school boyfriend."

"What? Who says I'm using Jonah to get a hot boy?"

"Why would a hot highschool girl like you be dating a middle school boy?"

"You think I'm hot?" Amber is flattered.

"No... Yes... I mean..." Buffy gets nervous. "You know what I mean!"

"Cat bit your tongue?"

"Why are you even attracted to Jonah Beck?"

"I'm not," Amber denies.

"Then why are you dating him?"

"Because..." Amber begins to explain then pauses. "It's complicated. Just go!"

"It's okay, Amber, you can tell me!" Buffy assures her after realizing that it's something bigger than she thought.

"Why would I tell you? So you can get some dirt on me? No thank you!"

"What kind of a person do you think I am?" asks Buffy.

"The kind that breaks into people's houses to spy on them?" replies Amber.

"Ok... sure... but you know why I did it? I did it because I wanted to protect my friend. I thought you were going to hurt him. But now I know."

"Why should I bother?" Amber says showing vulnerability, "You're probably going to say I'm just looking for attention or going through a phase just like everyone else."

"Do I look like everyone else? What I'm saying is, I'm here if you need me." Buffy says as she gets up to go. "Sorry about the trouble. And sorry about your drawer."

"No, Buffy wait!" Amber holds Buffy's hand and makes her sit down. Buffy sits down quietly and waits for Amber to talk. Amber keeps quiet and stairs at the window.

"It's okay if you're not comfortable talking about it," Buffy says.

"Jonah Beck is cute and nice and sweet," Amber begins. "But I don't like him that way."

"So, you ARE using him! I knew it!"

"Yes, I'm using him."

"Ha!" Buffy interjects!

"But it's not for the reasons you think."

"So why are you?"

"Because... because I need to date someone. Because I need to show them that I have a boyfriend."

"Show who? And why is it so important to prove to people you have a boyfriend?" Buffy asks.

"You don't get it," Amber explains. "When you're fabulous like me, you get so much pressure. Everybody has an idea of what kind of person you are. Everybody expects you to have a boyfriend. Your parents, your friends. And if you don't, they start filling in the blanks."

"So, you started dating Jonah Beck to throw them off the trail."

"Yes, so now they think I'm just like other girls. And although I'm living a lie, it's better than the alternative. Because, what if they don't understand? What if they can't accept you for who you are? What if they don't think you're normal?"

"What is normal anyway?" asks Buffy in a supportive tone. "Who decides what's normal and what's not? Be yourself. So, what if you like girls? Big deal!"

"I didn't say I like girls..."

"Oh! Sorry, I thought..."

"Kidding! Yes, I do. But, how did you know?"

"Because no other person has ever looked at me the way you looked at me," Buffy says looking into Amber's eyes but Amber avoids direct contact. "So, any crushes?"

"I don't know. I think so. I mean there's this girl in my class. Her name is Iris. And she's really pretty and it's like she doesn't even like me that way."

"I'm sure she will notice you," says Buffy looking straight into Amber's eyes. "Just give her time. Who wouldn't want to date you? You're Amber! Or maybe she's not the right girl for you. Maybe all this happened for a reason."

"What are you saying?" asks Amber.

Buffy leans in and kisses Amber for about ten seconds. She then wipes her lips and says, "Sorry about that!" Amber smiles, grabs Buffy and kisses her back. Then there's another long awkward silence.

"So... um... " Amber blushes.

"Yeah!" Buffy responds awkwardly.

"That was some..."

"Yeah!... Did you like it?"

"Was that your first kiss?" asks Amber.

"Was it that obvious?" Buffy asks feeling embarrassed. She covers her eyes with her hand and looks the other way.

"No. It was actually pretty good!" replies Amber. She then looks at Buffy and asks, "So, are you 100% or bi...?"

"I'm 100% Buffy!" Buffy replies.

"You hate labels too?" asks Amber as Buffy nods.

"Yeah..." says Buffy. She then quickly jumps out of the bed saying, "OMG Andi! What am I going to tell Andi?"

"Did you just call me Andi? Are you and Andi...?"

"No!" Buffy replies shaking her head for emphasis. "Andi is too straight. I think. I don't know. I was just wondering what I'm going to tell her and Cyrus about what I found."

"Oh right," replies Amber. "You came to collect dirt on me for blackmail," says Amber laughing.

"That was before I knew I liked you," Buffy tries to defend herself.

"You like me?" asks Amber curiously.

"No, I mean... No. You're still my mortal enemy," Buffy says before they both fall in laughter. "Maybe I will tell them you're a vampire and they should stay off your trail before you bite them."

"I'm sure your friends are smart enough to know that I'm not a vampire," says Amber.

"I will think of something. Besides, they failed to show up. So..."

"Yeah."

"Well, your secret is safe with me," says Buffy as she gets up and ready to go. She looks at Amber and they both share a smile. She hugs her and walks towards the door, saying, "I gotta go. See you!"

"I still hate you! Call me!" Amber jokes.

"Right back at ya!" Buffy says before banging the door behind her.

Buffy takes a deep breath as she walks out of Amber's house. She doesn't know what to think, where to begin. She gets a text message saying "AMBER ALERT" followed by a selfie from Amber. She blushes and kisses the phone.

* * *

 **Jefferson Middle School. Monday Morning.**

Andi meets up with her friends, Buffy and Cyrus. She's feels bad because she got grounded and couldn't meet up with them. Cyrus feels embarrassed about how to explain the bully incidence to the girls. Buffy feels... baffled. She has no idea what to tell her friends. She's not ready. They are not ready.

"I'm so sorry guys I got grounded," Andi apologizes. "How did it go?"

"I'd rather not talk about what happened," replies Cyrus. "Buffy?"

"What?" asks Buffy pretending to be confused.

"You went to Amber's?" Andi reminds her.

"Me and Amber?" Buffy asks nervously. "Nothing. Wait, what have you heard? I mean, cool jacket, Andi!" Buffy then looks at her AMBER ALERT text message from last night. She quickly puts her phone back in the pocket.

"She's hiding something," Andi Mack tells Cyrus. The gang falls into awkward silence as they head to class for their first period.

* * *

 _New Chapter Added_


	3. Part 3

_**Since a lot of people were asking for me to continue the story, I finally decided to add a new chapter. The events in this chapter take place after "Cyrus' Bash-Mitzvah," following a time-jump to catch up with the series.**_

 _ **I hope you like it!**_

* * *

 **Part 3**

* * *

It's been months now since Buffy and Amber started their secret relationship. A lot has changed. Bex and Andi moved out of Celia's house and are living in their own small, messy apartment. Jonah Beck broke up with Amber and started going out with Andi - sort of. Cyrus briefly dated Iris, before coming out to Buffy, and later Andi, that he has a crush on Jonah Beck. Amber's father lost his job but kept it a secret from his family, leading to constant fights with his wife. To make some cash and also escape her fighting parents, Amber is now working as a waitress at The Spoon Diner. Yes, a lot has changed since then. But one thing hasn't changed: Buffy and Amber's feelings for each other.

Despite all the struggles that Amber is going through, neither she nor Buffy is willing to tell anyone about their secret relationship. In fact, Buffy has grown to become an even harsher critic of Amber in front of Andi and Cyrus. She once called Amber a snake, and a scorpion. A snorpion. She has to put on a brave face and keep acting like she doesn't like Amber. Because if she does let Amber into their little Good Hair Crew circle, she would risk everyone finding out about their relationship. And she can't let it happen. No. They can never find out.

Keeping the secret hasn't been easy on Buffy. It made her lose her friend Marty. Marty wanted to be more than friends but Buffy wanted to remain as friends. She could never let Marty know the real reason why she can't date him. Because if anyone ever found out, then it would mean that Buffy betrayed her best friends by dating their worst enemy. She is not a traitor. She is Buffy. She is the protector of the Good Hair Crew. She can never let them down.

But this is the least of Buffy's concerns. She has a bigger problem now. Her military mother is being transferred, and she wants to move with Buffy. Normally, Buffy would have done anything to live with her mother. But, there's a lot more to lose. Buffy would have to leave her friends and everything she has known behind. Andi and Cyrus don't want her to leave either. But what can she do? Can she really say goodbye to her friends?

* * *

 **The Spoon Diner.**

This is all that is running in Buffy's mind as she walks into The Spoon to meet up with Andi and Cyrus. Her friends have been starving waiting for her to join them. Amber, in her waitress uniform, is writing down orders for the customer seated in the adjacent booth.

"Finally! I'm starving!" Andi says as she signals Amber to come and get their orders.

"I hate to state the obvious, but Buffy you've been coming in late a lot lately," Cyrus says.

"If you hate it, then don't state it," Buffy replies making it clear that she's in a bad mood.

"Actually, it's just an expression..." Cyrus tries to explain himself, hoping to make light of the situation.

"Sorry guys, I just have a lot going on," Buffy replies.

"Welcome to my world," Amber says to Buffy as she comes over to take their orders. They feel bad for Amber because of her family drama. So, there's an awkward five seconds of silence.

"We are ready to order," says Andi.

"So, the usual?" asks Amber.

"Baby taters and milkshakes, yes," says Cyrus.

"Can you make it double?" asks Andi. Buffy and Cyrus exchange looks. Andi looks at them and starts to justify herself, "What? I'm starving! I didn't have breakfast this morning. Bex forgot to buy groceries. Again. For the third day in a row."

"You can have mine," Buffy offers.

"What? Why?" asks Andi.

"I just don't feel like eating right now," Buffy responds.

"Why? Is everything okay?" asks Cyrus showing concern. Buffy looks at Amber. Both Andi and Cyrus look at Amber too, giving her the impression that they want her to leave. Amber gets the hint and walks away.

With Amber gone, Buffy starts explaining her situation to Andi and Cyrus. She starts, "You know how my mom was talking about us moving? Now she wants us to move next week."

"But I thought her transfer date wasn't until a couple of months later," Andi says.

"It wasn't. But then it got pushed up, to next week. And now, she wants me to start packing."

"But we don't want you to leave us," Cyrus says in a sad voice.

"I don't want to leave either," Buffy responds. "I don't want to lose you guys. Do you know how hard it is to make new friends?"

"Maybe if you were nicer to people...," Cyrus seizes the opportunity.

"Cyrus, I will break you," Buffy threatens. She then gets serious, "I mean, going to a new school means I have to make new friends, who aren't you guys. I like it here. I like you guys."

"Yes, and the worst part is, once you've just settled, she could be transferred again and then you have to start all over again," adds Andi.

"My life is over," Buffy says.

"Is there something we can do to help?" asks Andi.

"Like what?" asks Buffy pessimistically.

"I don't know. Maybe like a place to stay? You could come live with me and Bex."

"No offense Andi but your tiny little apartment is a little too... what's the word I'm looking for? Tiny!" Cyrus says.

"Cyrus is right," says Buffy. "Besides, Bex is already struggling enough to just to raise you. I wouldn't want to be a burden. Sometimes, she can't even feed you."

"Well, I'm out of options," Andi says.

"I would offer you to come live in our house, but it would be a nightmare living with my shrink parents," Cyrus says then shivers a little. "Sometimes I wish I could just escape and fly free like a baby dragon."

"Thank you, Cyrus. But no," Buffy declines the offer.

"Where is Amber with our baby taters, anyway?" asks Cyrus, changing the subject.

"Let me go check in on her," Buffy volunteers and walks into the kitchen to look for Amber.

"I am so sorry, your order is taking longer," Amber apologizes after seeing Buffy. "One of the chefs is out sick today. So, things are kinda slow."

"It's okay," says Buffy.

"So, what was that back there? Is everything okay?" Amber asks, showing concern.

"Why do you care?" asks Buffy.

"Come on, Buffy. It's just you and me here," Amber says, looking through the counter window. "You can cut the act."

"What act?" asks Buffy. Amber looks at her and smiles. Buffy smiles back. "Fine," Buffy starts to explain. "It's just that my mom is being transferred and wants me to move with her and I don't want to go. But I have nowhere to stay."

"Calm down and take a deep breath," Amber advises as she starts massaging her neck.

"Oh! That feels good," Buffy says as she takes a deep, relaxing breath.

"You know, I've been looking for a place to stay too," Amber says.

"What's wrong with your house?"

"I don't know if I can take it anymore," Amber says and stops massaging Buffy.

"Your parents are still fighting?"

"Yes and it's getting worse. They've started talking about getting a divorce."

"I am so sorry, Amber," says Buffy. "I didn't know it got that bad."

"Maybe we could get an apartment and move in together?"

"I can't tell my friends about us. Remember?"

"Right," Amber says and starts preparing baby taters for Buffy to take back.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Amber says shaking her head.

"It didn't sound like nothing. It sounded as if you are not okay with us keeping this just between us."

"You read all that from 'right'?" Amber asks and continues, "It's just that, I like you. I really do and I wish we could come out and tell everyone about us."

"I like you too. But keeping this a secret was YOUR idea, remember?"

"I was dating Jonah back then. I didn't want him to find out," Amber defends herself.

"And what do you think will happen if my friends found out you were cheating on Jonah Beck... with me?"

"We're doomed," Amber says before yawning.

"Yes we are," Buffy agrees in a resigned tone. She wants to get close to Amber for a small kiss but Andi approaches.

"What's taking so long?" Andi interrupts. Buffy quickly starts taking the baby taters baskets without making eye contact. Luckily, Andi didn't notice anything. She helps Amber and Buffy carry the baby taters back to the table.

* * *

 **Later that Evening. The Fringe.**

Bex is about to close The Fringe for the day when she hears a knock on the door. "Just a sec!" she says. She then walks to open the door. It's Amber. In a disappointed tone, Bex says, "Oh, it's just you!"

"Nice to see you too, Mrs. Mack," Amber replies.

"I told you it's MISS Mack," Bex tries to correct her but Amber ignores her and walks inside.

"This is a nice place," Amber says while looking through various items in the shop. "I would love to work as a makeup artist some day."

"Aren't you still in school? And working at the Spoon?" Bex asks passively.

"I could use some extra cash," Amber says. "But then again, this place smells like old socks and bacon. Yuck!"

Bex notices that Amber is just wasting time and not looking for anything in particular. She asks, "What is it that you want?"

"I know you hate me," Amber starts and waits for Bex to say otherwise. Bex is silent. "And I'm really sorry for turning on Andi after the sleepover, but I really need your help."

"What is it?" Bex asks, half-concerned.

"Can I crash here?" Amber asks. Bex doesn't know how to respond. "Just for one night. I swear I won't touch anything. I just need a place to sleep."

Bex becomes fully concerned. She walks closer to Amber and asks, "Amber, is everything okay?"

Amber starts crying and goes to hug Bex, smearing mascara all over her already-dirty shirt. "My parents are getting divorced," Amber says. "They keep fighting all the time. And I just can't keep seeing them like that every day."

"Wouldn't they be concerned if you didn't come home?"

"Oh please! They don't even care about me," Amber cries. "Sometimes they go for days without talking to me. I could be dead and they wouldn't know for weeks."

"Don't say that," Bex tries to comfort Amber. "Of course they care about you!"

"No, they don't!" Amber resists. She sneezes into Bex's shirt. Bex doesn't say anything. Instead she lets Amber vent as much as she needs. "Sometimes, I feel like they hate me. It's like they're getting divorced because of me."

"Look, I don't have room for you in my apartment, but maybe you can sleep at CeCe's house as we figure out what's going on."

"Thank you so much Andi's mom," Amber says. She wipes her tears and starts looking through various makeups.

"You know what can cheer you up? A little makeup," Bex says and picks up a makeup brush.

"You're so good at this," Amber praises Bex.

After a brief makeup session, Bex gives Amber a ride on her motorcycle to CeCe's house. CeCe lets Amber stay in Andi's old room.


	4. Part 4

**Later that night. Bex's apartment**

Bex is making coffee while Andi, Buffy and Cyrus are seated on the table, doing homework.

"So, let me get this straight," Andi says looking at Bex. "Amber came to you crying and you took her to stay at CeCe's house?"

"Yes," Bex responds. "What's so hard to get?"

"It's just that, you're not the biggest fan of Amber. That's all."

"Well, she needed my help and your old bedroom was empty. So -"

"Wait, she's staying in my bedroom?" Andi interrupts Bex.

"Yeah, what's the big deal?"

"Nothing," Andi says in an unconvincing voice.

"Aren't you the one who wanted me to be nice to Amber?" Bex asks.

"Yes. But... it's just that... it would have been nice if you and CeCe asked me first."

"What would you have said then?"

"Of course, I would have said yes."

"If you were gonna say yes, anyway, then I just saved you some time. You're welcome," Bex responds with a smirk on her face. She then changes the subject, "Don't you have some homework to do or something?" Bex asks as she walks towards her bedroom. Andi resumes doing her homework.

"How does it feel to have your mortal nemesis living in your room?" asks Buffy.

"She could learn all your darkest secret from your room," adds Cyrus.

"I don't have dark secrets," Andi says.

"You know, if this was a spy movie, you could just spy on her too," says Cyrus.

"Cyrus, I'm not going to spy on Amber. But it does give me an idea."

"What idea?" asks Buffy.

"I don't know why I didn't think of it this whole time," Andi says and pauses waiting for Buffy and Cyrus to react. They just stare at her, waiting for her to continue. "Buffy needs a place to stay. And CeCe's house has plenty of room."

"Maybe Buffy could stay there," Cyrus adds.

"Exactly!" Andi says.

"I don't know, guys," Buffy says trying not to get her hopes up. "Are you sure there's enough room? Wasn't Bex sleeping in the living room?"

"Yeah, but that's only because CeCe didn't want to clear Bex's old room."

"But Amber and I? Living in the same house?" Buffy wonders out loud.

"If she tries to choke you at night, just blink twice," Cyrus jokes.

"Besides, I'm not even sure my mom will let me stay behind," Buffy responds hopelessly.

"I think she will understand," Andi says softly. She then raises her voice and looks towards Bex's room. "If only there was a grown adult who would help convince her."

"I know what you're doing!" Bex shouts from her room.

"Is it working?" Andi asks.

"Yes," Bex responds from across the room. "I will talk to her! But only because I'm feeling generous today."

"Thank you Bex," Buffy says. "I can't believe I might actually stay here instead of moving with my mom. Bex, you're like a lifesaver."

"It's just another service we provide!" Bex responds.

"Hey, that's my line!" Buffy jokes.

"Actually, I thought it was The Good Hair Crew line," Cyrus tries to correct Buffy. Andi and Buffy look at each other and smile.

Buffy wants this to work out more than she's letting on. This could mean the world to her. Not only would she be able to stay with her best friends, she would be living in the same house with Amber, her secret girlfriend.

* * *

 **Five Days Later. Celia's House**

Celia, Bex and Buffy's friends are standing outside Celia's house, eagerly waiting for Buffy to arrive. It doesn't take long before Buffy's mom drives into Celia's driveway. She and Buffy get out and start carrying Buffy's luggage into the house.

While the kids are unpacking the car, Mrs. Driscoll walks to Celia. "Thank you so much," she says. "You really saved me. Inasmuch as I wanted Buffy to come with me, I knew she needed to be close to her friends. I couldn't take that away from her. And you offering a place for her to stay... it's just... thank you. I really appreciate this."

"You are very welcome," CeCe says. "I am glad to help. And any friend of Andi's is a friend of this house."

Mrs. Driscoll goes in to hug CeCe but CeCe isn't exactly a hugger. So, it turns awkward. The moment is ruined. "Please take care of her for me," she says.

"Don't worry, Buffy's mom," Amber says while coming out of the house. "I am going to take _good care_ of your daughter." She walks with confidence and hugs Mrs. Driscoll, introducing herself as Buffy's future roommate.

"Aren't you the kindest girl?" Buffy's mom compliments Amber. Amber smiles. Bex, Andi and Cyrus are just shocked by this new side of Amber.

"I'm sorry, but, did you say roommate?" Buffy asks Amber. She then looks at CeCe and says, "I thought there was another room."

"There is," CeCe responds. "Once you girls help me move some things out." Buffy smiles and continues to unpack.

With all Buffy's bags moved into CeCe's house, now comes the hard part - saying goodbyes. Buffy had promised herself to stay strong for her mom but she can't help it because her tears won't stop running down her eyes. She sniffles as she hugs her mom goodbye.

"I'm going to miss you so much!" Buffy tells her mom.

"I'm going to miss you more," Mrs. Driscoll responds, hugging Buffy tighter. She then looks straight into Buffy's eyes and asks, "Remember what I told you?"

"Yes," Buffy says.

"I know this is hard but I want you to be brave for me. Okay? Can you do that for mommy?" Mrs. Driscoll asks. Buffy nods in agreement.

"See you soon mom," Buffy says at the end of the hug.

As Mrs. Driscoll walks into her car, Amber stands next to Buffy and holds her hand. Buffy doesn't resist. They remain in this position until Mrs. Driscoll drives away.

When she sees Andi and Cyrus approaching, Amber quickly lets go of Buffy's hand and starts walking into the house.

"This is amazing!" Andi says. "We should go celebrate!"

"Baby taters on me!" adds Cyrus.

"Can we do it tomorrow?" asks Buffy. "It's been a long day."

"Sure," says Andi. "Any time!"

Bex looks at Buffy and asks, "Are you going to be okay?"

"Every time she leaves, I think it's going to be easier the next time," Buffy responds. "But..."

"It never gets any easier," Bex helps her complete her sentence.

"How did you manage to stay away from your family for 13 years?" Buffy wonders.

"Hey, who wants pizza?" Bex asks to change the conversation.

"There's pizza?" Cyrus asks. "I'm starving!" Cyrus walks inside to look for pizza. Bex and Andi are left laughing.

* * *

 **Later that evening. Celia's House**

Buffy is her new shared bedroom, unpacking her clothes in a sluggish manner. She's exhausted and honestly, she would rather be doing anything else right now. The door squeaks and starts to open slowly.

"Amber alert! Amber alert!" Amber says as she walks in.

"You don't have to announce yourself whenever you enter the room," Buffy says.

"You're still not done unpacking?" Amber asks as she walks in to sit on Buffy's bed.

"I could do it faster if _somebody_ helped."

"Or you could just put the clothes away and sit next to your girlfriend?"

"Did you just call me your girlfriend?" Buffy asks, blushing.

"Isn't that what we are?" Amber asks. Buffy blushes and throws the clothes she was holding onto the floor. She walks to sit next to Amber. Amber takes Buffy's hand and starts playing with Buffy's fingers.

"I still can't believe we get to live together," Buffy says. "Now I don't have to sneak around my friends to meet up with you. I got you right where I want. Boop," says Buffy as she boops Amber's nose.

"Who knew that my parents fighting and your mom being transferred would work out so well for both of us?"

"It's the universe!"

"Universe?" Amber asks.

"Just something Andi's dad says," Buffy explains. "You know like fate or something. I guess the universe wants us to be together."

"Speaking of Andi, weren't you supposed to meet her and Cyrus to celebrate getting a place to stay?"

"That's tomorrow," Buffy starts. "I wanted to spend this first day with my secret girlfriend."

"You have a secret girlfriend?" Amber jokes.

"Yes," Buffy plays along. "And she is the most beautiful girl in the world. And she is so sweet and sensitive but doesn't let anyone see it. And she makes feel like nobody else. Oh and she's blonde and her name is Amber."

"Wow!" Amber is speechless for a second. "That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. I don't deserve all that."

"I think you're amazing. I wish you could just start seeing that, instead of being insecure. You're perfect."

"I'm so glad you're in my life, Buffy."

"Me too," Buffy says as she starts playing with Amber's hair. Amber turns around and locks her eyes with Buffy.

After looking into each other's eyes for a couple seconds, they both know what they want even without saying it. Amber leans in and kisses Buffy on the lips. Buffy kisses back. Amber and Buffy make out passionately for about three minutes.

"I love this," Amber says after taking a breath from the make out session.

"I love you too, Amber," says Buffy before fully processing what Amber had said. She tries to correct herself, "It! I love it... The kissing... I mean, what we have. I love what we have."

As Buffy tries to explain her way out of admitting that she loves her, Amber just smiles and giggles. Amber gives Buffy one big kiss to make her shut up.

"So, what do you say? Should we tell your friends about us?" Amber asks, looking straight into Buffy's eyes.

"Um..."

"Um?"

* * *

THE. END.


End file.
